'You can't be neutral': Demonstrators march against discrimination

Jon Langham / Pioneer Press

Anthony Clark leads a group in a chant of "More Love, Less Hate" as they arrive at Madison Street and Marengo Avenue in Forest Park. Clark, an Oak Park River Forest High School teacher, organized a "March to Madison" peaceful protest against racism and discrimination.

Anthony Clark leads a group in a chant of "More Love, Less Hate" as they arrive at Madison Street and Marengo Avenue in Forest Park. Clark, an Oak Park River Forest High School teacher, organized a "March to Madison" peaceful protest against racism and discrimination. (Jon Langham / Pioneer Press)

Speaking to a group of more than 100 demonstrators Saturday night, a 71-year-old Oak Park resident, who said she marched in the Civil Rights movement decades ago, said it's "absolutely ridiculous" that individuals must continue to take a stand against racism and discrimination in their communities.

Eena Aikens, a grandmother of two, told the dozens who gathered for a peaceful march against racism and discrimination in Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park, that she's worried about the way her black 13-year-old grandson will be perceived by the community, especially as he grows older.

"My grandson likes to ride his bike, and it makes me nervous," she said in interview following the demonstration. "When more than two kids are on bikes, it raises eyebrows in the neighborhood. ... I'm just being realistic."

The march, which began at Oak Park River Forest High School and ended on Madison Street outside the Forest Park Music Fest, was led by OPRF teacher Anthony Clark. Clark said he organized the demonstration to raise awareness of racism and discrimination in Chicago's suburban communities.

The high school educator teared up as he spoke to the substantial crowd -— a diverse mix of ages and races — gathered outside the high school Saturday evening.

Jon Langham / Pioneer Press

Oak Park River Forest High School teacher Anthony Clark organized a "March to Madison" peaceful protest against racism and discrimination.

"You can't be neutral when it comes to equity and peace," Clark told the crowd. He urged the group to remain peaceful, to not respond to any incendiary comments they may elicit from passersby and also thanked the Oak Park Police Department for their collaboration on the event.

"We're happy to be here tonight to make sure everyone can deliver their message .. in a safe and effective way," Oak Park Police Cmdr. Joseph Waitzman said.

More people joined the group as they marched toward Forest Park. Motorists honked in support, and pedestrians waved and cheered as they passed by. A man riding a bike alongside the marchers spat on a police car and was immediately rebuked by a crowd of demonstrators for his action.

The marchers chanted "no justice, no peace," and "more love, less hate" at various intervals, while demonstrators hoisted signs in support of their cause. One read: "To be neutral is to be complicit."

The catalyst for the demonstration was an incident that allegedly occurred at a bar in Forest Park. Oak Park resident Pem Hessing, who attended the Saturday night demonstration, said she was at a bar last weekend with several of her friends, and they requested that the DJ working at the time play some 1990s-era hip-hop. Hessing said her friends overheard the DJ say he didn't want to play any hip-hop music because it would attract black people to the establishment.

Hessing's friend, Cynthia Martz, said she reported the comment to the bar's manager, who told her the DJ was not a direct employee of the bar and did not apologize for the remarks. She said she was "appalled" that the manager didn't offer an apology or try to rectify the issue.

Hessing posted on Facebook about the incident, and it quickly went viral, spreading to various Oak Park-centric Facebook pages. She said the responses have been mixed.

"I wanted people to be aware of what businesses they choose to frequent. I had this bad experience, and I wanted people to know about this experience," Hessing said.

In light of the incident, Clark drafted a pledge for local businesses to sign stating that they would do everything in their power to prevent racism and discrimination in their establishments and to address any instances of either alongside community members and advocates. Of the 40 businesses he visited on Lake and Madison Streets, only 17 agreed to sign the pledge, he said.

Clark said he wasn't interested in calling out the business who refused to sign the pledge, but would make it a point to patronize those that did, and encouraged the crowd to do so as well.

A Hillside resident who participated in the march, Latylia Gilbert, said it's not an uncommon experience for her to feel singled out in a business because of her race. Gilbert, who is black, said she was encouraged by the diverse turnout at the demonstration.

"I'm hoping by this happening more and more often that it will open the eyes of those who don't believe (discrimination and racism) goes on," she said, referring to the march.

Comedian Vicky Victoria, an Oak Park resident, who marched with the group, said she hails from a "blended family." Her mother is Asian and a Buddhist, her father is African and a Muslim, and her step family is white, she said.

When her non-black relatives refuse to acknowledge that racism exists, it's "painful," and that their silence on the issue serves to worsen the problem, Victoria said.

Victoria, who heard about the demonstration via social media, said she moved to Oak Park two years ago because of its diversity.

"This, to me, is giving back to my community. I've sat idle for too long," she said.

Matt Baron, president of the Oak Park Public Library Board, attended the demonstration with his wife, Bridgett, and their 13-year-old twins. He said it wouldn't sit right with his conscience if he were to sit out the march, because to remain silent on discrimination and racism would make him and his family "part of the problem."

Bridgett Baron said it was important for the couple to bring their children to the demonstration, and to explain to them that "their black male friends in a couple of years are going to be viewed differently." She said she wants to teach her children about racism and how to be advocates for their black peers.

At the conclusion of the protest, Aikens said she was so happy she came, even though she was worried she wouldn't be able to complete the hour-long walk. Before the demonstrators dispersed, she told the crowd that she would continue to fight against discrimination and racism in any way she can.

"Anything I can do, I will continue to do until the day I die," Aikens said.